Standardize Testing- "Norm-Referenced tests"




Standardize Testing really took off when the United States loss the race to the moon to the Soviet Union's Sputnik in 1957. Americans believed that the reason for the loss was because of the education in the schools starting at a young age. The people and politicians felt that if there was a way to assess the children throughout their schooling careers. In order to make sure that the students all had the same test they decided it would have to be standard. They needed to have the same time limit, set of questions, and have the same testing instructions for the test. These tests have different measurements for the schools and the schools have different marks they need to meet. These marks play a huge park in deciding whether or not they get federal and local money. These standardized tests have many different goals to help improve what the students are learning while in school.



What we believed before-
Before the age of standardize testing, there was no real accurate way to assess the knowledge of what the students are learning and if it is enough. The first measure of knowledge was the IQ tests which came about during WWI. The next was the Educational Testing Service in 1948. The Scholastic Achievement Test, also known as the SAT was initially used to test students who were entering college, and mostly used in the northeastern. Later the SAT was changed to the Scholastic Assessment Test because they felt that it should not be the achievement test but an assessment test that assess the knowledge and skills of the student who was going into college.

What we believed after-
Since the change of the SAT format and the No Child Left Behind Act, standardize testing has taken a change for the better and the worse. No Child Left Behind Act created more testing for kids to make sure that every student graduates and knows the information that is being taught. Over the years, we have come closer to making a standardize test which is both valid and reliable. Before many changes, tests were focused on math and science. Then they changed tests to focus more on math, science, and English or language arts. This made the tests more versatile to show a more stretch of knowledge. Most of the changes made to standardize tests over the years have been made to the content of the material being tested and the different requirements that must be met on the tests.


How do schools still act as if we have "old" belief?
Now, teachers, administrators, and politicians are continuously looking for ways to improve standardized tests across the United States. Different material, testing methods, and new requirements are keeping teachers of the ball of things. Teachers and schools now have to worry about their students meeting the designated requirements in order to receive money from the state and federal government. Many teachers believe that they are now being forced to teach material so the students can learn for the tests and not just learn the real material. There is also the question of whether or not the tests a fair for all the students. Some students have learning disability and some kids are very gifted, it's hard to then decide that the student should not pass because they are being compared to those students who have a gift. Others believe that the tests should be a way to make sure that the student is learning enough and the right information before moving on the next grade. They should not just be going through the motions but actually absorb the information.


History of Standardize Testing
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